The music world has been rocked by the death of fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who created clothing for artists including Bjork, David Bowie and Rihanna. Acts such as Kanye West, Kelis and Katy Perry took to blogs and Twitter yesterday, paying tribute to the couture icon.

Kanye West was a little more expressive, posting on his website. "So devastating," he wrote. "McQueen ... was a genius. He was so important and special. We lost an angel." The rapper is no stranger to McQueen's work: he had been spotted at several of the designer's fashion shows, including Paris fashion week in 2007 and last year's autumn fashion week in New York. He has also blogged pages of photographs of McQueen's work in the past, hailing his 2009 collection as "my favourite fashion show this year".

"His work was beautiful and will remain immortal," R&B singer Kelis said in a statement. "He was one of our gems, it is truly so sad. There aren't many designers or artists that are able to let you into their minds and their hearts simply through vision and creation. Alexander McQueen was one of few. We will all feel his absence forever."

McQueen fans such as Bjork and Lady Gaga have yet to issue statements, with some Gagaphiles proposing that the popstar is "in mourning". In the meantime, Courtney Love has piped up, showing her typical sensitivity: "Poor Lee McQueen," she wrote on Twitter. "I really tried to help him long ago. I feel really bad. I found a pair of tights today and they were Lee's. I felt morbid."